# AESC40140

**Source**: https://hub.ucd.ie/usis/!W_HU_MENU.P_PUBLISH?p_tag=MODULE&MODULE=AESC40140&TERMCODE=202500&ACYR=2026
**Parent**: https://hub.ucd.ie/usis/!W_HU_MENU.P_PUBLISH?p_tag=COURSE&MAJR=ESS1&AUDIENCE=

Academic Year 2025/2026

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#### Agri-Environmental Nutrient Management (AESC40140)

Subject:
:   Agricultural&Environmental Sci

College:
:   Health & Agricultural Sciences

School:
:   Agriculture & Food Science

Level:
:   4 (Masters)

Credits:
:   5

Module Coordinator:
:   Assoc Professor Paul Murphy

Trimester:
:   Spring

Mode of Delivery:
:   On Campus

Internship Module:
:   No

How will I be graded?
:   Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module will explore the importance of nutrients for healthy plant growth and associated agronomic and environmental issues and management practices. Nutrient elements and their sources, forms, transformations, availability, uptake and toxicities will be explored. The importance of nutrient management in major production systems, including grasslands, tillage crops, and horticulture will be covered. The importance of managing soil pH, and concepts of soil fertility and organic production will be discussed. Farm and field-scale nutrient management, planning, advice, analysis and regulation will be covered in detail, and students will prepare a Farm Nutrient Management Plan. Processes of nutrient transformation in soils, plants and animals and transfer to water, soil and atmosphere, and their impact on environmental issues such as eutrophication and water quality, and anthropogenic climate change, will be explored.\
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## About this Module

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### What will I learn?

###### Learning Outcomes:

Students will have a comprehensive understanding of the importance of appropriate nutrient management and nutrient management planning for sustainable agricultural production systems and how these can be achieved through the design and implementation of a farm nutrient management plan that meets the requirements of current Irish legislation, guidelines and best-practice. Students will also develop transferrable skills in searching the literature, critical review, assimilation and communication of scientific information in oral and visual form and also in communicating information to practitioners such as farmers. In addition, students will take part in a 1-day field trip to Teagasc Johnstown Castle Environment Research Centre for hands-on instruction in nutrient management during the Field Work Period in mid March with transport from Belfield provided.

### How will I learn?

###### Student Effort Hours:

| Student Effort Type | Hours |
| --- | --- |
| Specified Learning Activities | 24 |
| Autonomous Student Learning | 40 |
| Lectures | 18 |
| Seminar (or Webinar) | 6 |
| Field Trip/External Visits | 18 |
|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| Total | 106 |

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###### Approaches to Teaching and Learning:

The main teaching and learning approaches used in this module are: \
- lectures\
- student-driven learning\
- field-based learning\
- critical thinking\
- student seminar presentations\
- case study constructive learning.\

### Am I eligible to take this module?

###### Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.

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###### Module Requisites and Incompatibles

**Pre-requisite:**\
AESC20060 - Soil Science Basics\
\
**Incompatibles:**\
ERM40150 - *Soils, Nutrients and Environme*\
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### How will I be assessed?

###### Assessment Strategy

| Description | Timing | Component Scale | Must Pass Component | % of Final Grade | In Module Component Repeat Offered |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Assignment(Including Essay): Students are required to prepare and submit a Nutrient Management Plan for a farm based on information for the farm provided to the student. | Week 12 | Standard conversion grade scale 40% | No | 60 | No |
| Individual Project: Carry out a critical review of a peer-reviewed scientific publication in the area of Nutrient Management and present what you have found in-class. | Week 5, Week 6 | Standard conversion grade scale 40% | No | 30 | No |
| Participation in Learning Activities: Attendance and participation at a one-day fieldtrip to Johnstown Castle - 10% of the module grade. | Week 5 | Pass/Fail Grade Scale | No | 10 | No |

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###### Carry forward of passed components

Yes

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### What happens if I fail?

| Resit In | Terminal Exam |
| --- | --- |
| Summer | No |

*Please see [Student Jargon Buster](https://www.ucd.ie/students/services/ucdstudentjargonbuster/) for more information about remediation types and timing.* \

### Assessment feedback

###### Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Group/class feedback, post-assessment\

###### How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

### Associated Staff

| Name | Role |
| --- | --- |
| Dr Thomas Cummins | Lecturer / Co-Lecturer |
| Dr Mary Harty | Lecturer / Co-Lecturer |

### When is this module offered?

**Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.**

|  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Spring | Lecture | Offering 1 | Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 | Thurs 14:00 - 15:50 |

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